1919 World Series Replay: Game 7

By Mike Lynch

CINCINNATI-For the second time in this classic, Reds pitcher Slim Sallee pitched his heart out, allowing only one unearned run in nine innings, repeating his Game 2 performance almost to the letter. But Sallee was the victim of relief pitcher Dolph Luque's inability to dispatch the opposition in the top of the 10th as the team from Chicago scored late to win their second consecutive contest, this time by a score of 2-1, to pull to within one game of the team from Cincinnati. Ironically, it was Luque who performed brilliantly in Game 2, pitching the final three innings, to preserve Sallee's unexpected masterpiece.

Fortunately for the Reds-or unfortunately if you're Reds owner Garry Herrmann-only 13,923 fans were on hand to watch the disheartening defeat. Despite a beautiful fall day in Cincinnati and the glorious possibility of clinching the world's championship, the fans failed to fill the ballpark to its capacity. Thanks to a rumor started before Game 6 that there were still several thousand seats available, the city came to a standstill. All traffic leading out of Cincinnati was blocked. 10,000 disappointed fans were turned away at the gates in favor of the 32,000 who already had tickets. So the fans, reluctant to cause more mayhem and perhaps angered by the previous day's rejection, stayed away in significant number.

Although the Cincinnati squad held a comfortable four-games-to-two lead going into the game, the Reds players opened up with a string of insults directed at the White Sox that can be classified as nothing less than verbal warfare. Apparently they were looking for any extra edge they could get against the American League's elite squad. Chicago ace Eddie Cicotte, who had been the primary target of Cincinnati's vitriol before Game 1, successfully shut out the cries, then went about the business of shutting down the hometown Reds. But it wasn't easy. After setting down the White Sox in order in the top half of the first inning, the Reds initiated an assault that had followed the same pattern as previous games, taking advantage of Chicago's mistakes and manufacturing runs as early as possible.

Second baseman Morrie Rath reached first when White Sox center fielder Happy Felsch dropped his routine fly ball in short center field for an error. After a groundout by first baseman Jake Daubert, third baseman Heinie Groh clubbed a single to left, putting runners at first and second. Cicotte convinced Cincinnati center fielder Edd Roush to ground one to first baseman Chick Gandil, but Gandil couldn't handle the high-hopper and the bases were loaded with only one retired. Up stepped left fielder Pat Duncan, who had solved Cicotte easily in Games 1 and 4, going 4-for-8 with two doubles and a run batted in. But the White Sox righthander was the better man on this occasion, getting Cincinnati's left fielder to pop out. To add insult to injury, Cicotte fielded the high drive himself and two were down. When shortstop Larry Kopf lifted an easy flair to short right field for the third out, the sparse crowd sighed in unison, lamenting the wasted opportunity.

On the defensive side of the ball, however, Sallee was putting on a pitching demonstration that would find the White Sox with only two baserunners and no runs after four completed frames. But, after wasting a single by left fielder Joe Jackson in the second and a double by third baseman Buck Weaver in the fourth, the Pale Hose finally broke through in the top of the fifth. Sallee escaped immediate damage when Gandil's bid for the series' first home run fell just short, landing in Duncan's outstretched mitt in deep left field. Shortstop Swede Risberg followed with a smash of his own that slammed against the right field wall before being relayed to Kopf, but not until Risberg was standing safely on second base with a two-bagger. With catcher Ray Schalk at the dish, the Chicago shortstop engaged in a bit of daring and took off for third base on Sallee's first pitch. Cincy backstop Ivey Wingo caught the strike and pegged a throw to third, but the throw was high and ended up in Duncan's territory, allowing Risberg to waltz home with the game's first run.

Not to be outdone, the Reds came back to tie the contest with a lone tally in the bottom of the inning. Rath doubled to right with one out, but looked as if he would be stranded there when Daubert skied one to shallow right. Groh lined a hit to center, however, and Rath scampered home without drawing a throw to knot the game at one.

That would be all the scoring either team could muster until the 10th, but the next four innings witnessed several opportunities for either side, none of which came to fruition. Chicago right fielder Shano Collins singled and stole second in the sixth, but it was in the following at-bat that the Chicago nine fashioned their most formidable threat. Felsch atoned for his first inning blunder by shooting a single to right to lead off the seventh. Gandil and Risberg were retired easily, but pinch hitter Fred McMullin stood in for an ineffective Schalk and laced a basehit to left center field. Roush came up with it and fired a perfect strike to third, where Groh laid a tag on the sliding lead runner for the final out of the inning.

After Cicotte retired the Reds in the seventh, White Sox manager Kid Gleason had the unenviable task of deciding whether to remove his hurler in favor of a pinch-hitter or let him continue, knowing that he was on top of his game and had not begun to tire. Gleason opted for the former, but he may as well have let Cicotte remain in the game as his teammates failed to mount an attack. 

Relief pitcher Roy Wilkinson handled the Reds easily in the eighth, while Sallee continued his mastery of the White Sox in the ninth, setting up a wild finish. Kopf led off with a safety to center, energizing a crowd that had been mostly silent. Neale was plunked with Wilkinson's next offering, bringing the throng to its feet in anticipation of a game-winning rally. Those who weren't expecting Wingo to lay one down and sacrifice could be counted on one hand. Chicago third sacker Weaver went with the majority and crept up to field the bunt. Risberg bolted for third with the pitch instead of moving towards second, Weaver palmed the bunt, whirled and threw a bullet to his teammate, who had just beaten Kopf to the bag for the force. What should have been a successful sacrifice had been thwarted by a well-planned gamble that paid off. The crowd groaned, but remained on its feet to watch pinch-hitter Sherry Magee's attempt at pushing across the deciding run. When Magee lifted Wilkinson's offering to deep right-center field it looked as if the Reds would win their first World Series championship. But Felsch raced over and snared the drive before it could hit paydirt and Neale was able to advance only 90 feet. Rath then drew a base on balls to load the bases, leaving it up to Daubert. The Reds first baseman had only six hits in 30 World Series at-bats as he strode toward home plate and Wilkinson took advantage of Daubert's slump, getting him to fly out to end the inning.

After reaching his limit, Sallee was through and Luque entered the game for the Reds in the 10th. Gandil greeted the new pitcher with a smash down the left field line that allowed him to reach second base safely. Risberg moved Gandil to third with a sacrifice bunt, bringing up little-used backup catcher Byrd Lynn with one out. Cincinnati manager Pat Moran ordered an intentional pass to set up the double play, but the move backfired when Luque walked right fielder Nemo Leibold to load the bases with White Sox. Pinch-hitter Eddie Murphy struck out looking, but Luque and the Reds weren't out of the woods yet, for the redoubtable Eddie Collins was now standing at the dish. Then, just as he had in Game 6, Luque walked in a crucial run, offering four wide ones to Collins to bring Gandil in with the last, and most important, run of the game.

Cincinnati went down without a fight in the bottom half of the frame-Roush singled with one out, but was stranded-and the White Sox found themselves only one game from tying the series and forcing a ninth game. The series will move back to Chicago's Comiskey Park tomorrow for Game 8. Lefty Williams will take the mound for the White Sox and Hod Eller will be on the hill for Cincinnati.

Game 7
10/8/1919:
Chicago (A) at Cincinnati

BATTING:
Doubles: B. Weaver (1, 4th inning off Sallee, 0 on, 1 out.) C. Gandil (1, 10th inning off Luque, 0 on, 0 out.) S. Risberg (1, 5th inning off Sallee, 0 on, 1 out.)

Runs Batted In: E. Collins (1)

Stolen Bases: E. Collins (2), S. Risberg (1)

Sacrifice Hits: S. Risberg (1)

FIELDING:
Errors: C. Gandil (1), H. Felsch (1)

BATTING:
Doubles: M. Rath (1, 5th inning off Cicotte, 0 on, 1 out.)
Triples: G. Neale (1, 4th inning off Cicotte, 0 on, 2 out.)

Runs Batted In: H. Groh (1)

FIELDING:
Errors: I. Wingo (1)

PITCHING:

Attendance: 13,923

Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune